© 2020 Penguin India
First published in 1984, to both notoriety
and critical acclaim, Paro remains a social
comedy without parallel in contemporary
Indian writing.
Paro, heroic temptress, glides like an exotic
bird of prey through the world of privilege
and Scotch that the rich of Bombay
and Delhi inhabit. She is observed closely
by the acid Priya, voyeur and obsessive
diarist, who lost her heart to the sewingmachine
magnate BR, and then BR
to Paro. But he is merely one among
a string of admirers. Paro has seduced
many: Lenin, the Marxist son of a cabinet
minister; the fat and sinister Shambhu
Nath Mishra, Congress Party éminence
grise; Bucky Bhandpur, test cricketer
and scion of a princely family; Loukas
Leoras, a homosexual Greek film director;
and, very nearly, Suresh, the lawyer on
the make whom Priya has married . . .
Imprint: India Penguin Modern Classics
Published: May/2024
ISBN: 9780143416968
Length : 164 Pages
MRP : ₹299.00
Imprint: Penguin Audio
Published:
ISBN:
Imprint: India Penguin Modern Classics
Published: May/2024
ISBN: 9789351184140
Length : 164 Pages
MRP : ₹299.00
First published in 1984, to both notoriety
and critical acclaim, Paro remains a social
comedy without parallel in contemporary
Indian writing.
Paro, heroic temptress, glides like an exotic
bird of prey through the world of privilege
and Scotch that the rich of Bombay
and Delhi inhabit. She is observed closely
by the acid Priya, voyeur and obsessive
diarist, who lost her heart to the sewingmachine
magnate BR, and then BR
to Paro. But he is merely one among
a string of admirers. Paro has seduced
many: Lenin, the Marxist son of a cabinet
minister; the fat and sinister Shambhu
Nath Mishra, Congress Party éminence
grise; Bucky Bhandpur, test cricketer
and scion of a princely family; Loukas
Leoras, a homosexual Greek film director;
and, very nearly, Suresh, the lawyer on
the make whom Priya has married . . .
Namita Gokhale is one of India’s best known and most loved authors. A prominent writer, festival director, and literary activist, she is the author of twenty three works of fiction and non-fiction. Her pioneering work has earned her great acclaim over the last few decades.
The cult classic Paro: Dreams of Passion, first published in 1984, is a satire on the elite of Bombay and Delhi which created a furore due to its frank sexual humour. It has remained in print and been read and appreciated by successive generations over the last four decades. The new double edition Double Bill: Priya and Paro brings together Paro and Priya: Take Two in one classic volume.
Gokhale later battled illness and personal loss to write memorable works including the Himalayan trilogy, which began with The Book of Shadows, includes A Himalayan Love Story, and continues with Things to Leave Behind, which brings to life the mixed legacy of the British Indian past and chronicles Nainital’s reluctant entry into modern India.
Things to Leave Behind was awarded the Sahitya Akademi award for 2021 . It also won the the Best Fiction(English) Jury Award at the Valley of Words International Literature Festival 2017, the Sushila Devi Literary Award 2018 and was on the long list for the 2018 Dublin Literary Award.
Gokhale is has also worked extensively with Indian myth through The Book of Shiva, an introduction to Shaivite philosophy. The Puffin Mahabharata is an illustrated retelling of the Indian epic for young readers. Lost in Time: Ghatotkacha and the Game of Illusions, also for young readers, examines a rare friendship, as well as the abiding puzzles of the past.
The Goddess Trilogy includes the pathbreaking anthologies In Search of Sita – Revisiting Mythology, Finding Radha , The Quest for Love , and The Treasures of Lakshmi - The Goddess Who Gives (co-edited with Dr. Malashri Lal. )
Gokhale’s recent fiction includes the evocative Jaipur Journals , set against the backdrop of the vibrant Jaipur Literature Festival, and The Blind Matriarch which follows an extended Indian joint family through the travails of the pandemic.
Gokhale has a passionate commitment to showcasing Indian writing . She is co-founder and co-director of the internationally renowned Jaipur Literature Festival and also helps curate its diverse international editions. She has conceived and curated Kitaabnama, India’s only multi-lingual book show for the national broadcaster Doordarshan. She has twice chaired the Dylan Thomas Prize . She is passionately committed to cross cultural dialogue and to showcasing writing across the spectrum of South Asian languages.
Namita Gokhale was conferred the Centenary National Award for Literature by the Asam Sahitya Sabha in Guwahati in 2017 "for her literary contributions as well as her service to the nation in supporting and showcasing literary talents and creating a literary environment in the country".
In her timely masterpiece Unmasked, Paro Anand writes of despair, courage and hope. Through eighteen short stories, she introduces us to characters who feel familiar and their stories intimate. Here’s a glimpse into the author’s mind as she delves into the subject that inspired the book. ~ Remember the song from the TV series – Orange […]